New York Yankees Tuesday notes

Brian Cashman shot down Johnny Damon today. He said it isn’t going to be something we pursue. He said he text Scott Boras and told him. He said we love Damon but he played with us a while ago and he can’t play the field every day and that is what we need. He also reiterated although he won’t rule out a deal entirely most likely the options will come from what they already have. 
Cashman said Nunez isn’t an option because he doesn’t feel his bat profiles as an outfielder. I personally think it is too much to keep moving him around. He is a good offensive player but bad defensively and I think he just needs to stick at short and hope he gets better defensively.

Hughes did more pool work today but there was no update on him. There could be an update tomorrow on him. Kevin Youkilis is a little sore and most likely won’t play again tomorrow. He says he is fine though and could play if it was during the season. The Yankees are usually extra cautious and there is no reason not to be at this point.

Joba Chamberlain created a little bit of a stir today when he talked about still being a starter. He said he could do it and would like to try it again. The Yankees joked about it but I am sure they aren’t too happy. He can become a free agent after next year. I personally think he would be better off taking over for MO and being the closer but we will see what happens. I don’t think the Yankees will ever put him back as a starter. Jose Ramirez made a good first impression pitching today. The Yankees liked what they saw and said he has a live arm.

Yankees Pre Spring Training Workout

Several of the New York Yankees are down in Tampa for pre spring training workouts at the minor league complex. Curtis Granderson arrived today according to Mark Feinsand of the NY Daily News and he did some fly catching drills today in center with Brett Gardner. Rob Thomson the third base coach was the one running the drills. A. J. Burnett played catch today and Chad Gaudin, Alfredo Aceves, Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, Boone Logan and Dave Robertson were all spotted today. Curtis Granderson also got in live batting practice with Francisco Cervelli, Derek Jeter and Eduardo Nunez. He said he doesn't care if he is in center or left or where he bats in the lineup. He seems like a great guy and I am sure he is going to fit in just fine with this team. Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes threw bullpen sessions only a few yards away from each other side by side today which is pretty ironic since they will be battling for the 5th starter spots. The workouts will really get going at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Thursday with pitcher and catchers but on Wed they will all be reporting. Hang in there everyone as the long journey is about to begin, remember to keep checking back as I will have daily coverage of both the New York Yankees and New York Mets as they go through spring training and into the season.

Joba Rules

The New York Yankees and Joba Chamberlain have gone back and forth between starter and reliever. He was a started last year until the playoffs and stated just the other day he intends on being a starter this season. He was at the Thurman Munson Awards dinner last night and had some things to say. He did state that he wants to be a starter but the Yankees have the final call and if the told him you are going to be a setup man and be ready to inherit MO's job when he retires he would be ready and able to do that. He stated he just wants to be told what to do and then stick with that. Joel Sherman of the NY Post had a article in todays paper about this and stated that Joba is going to be the setup man and Phil Hughes will be the 5th starter. I have been saying this for a while and I agree with it. The thing about Joba is he just seems different out of the pen. I have been in the Joba as a starter camp and I still believe he can be a very good starting pitcher. The thing though that the Yankees couldn't ignore and most of the fans was that he was sitting at 89-91 as a stater and looked tentative. Joba went back to the pen for the postseason and was back up in the high 90's and just looked dominant again. The Yankees will never admit it publicly but I do think they believe he is better suited for the bullpen now. It is very hard for them because of what they invested for him to be a starter. They went through all this Joba Rules stuff and now finally he is ready to be unleashed this season and what do you know he will most likely end up in the pen. The thing is Phil Hughes will have the rules but the Yankees have Sergio Mitre, Chad Gaudin and some others in the minors to cover the 5th starter role and if there is injury. I think the Yankees best team will be with Joba in the pen and Hughes starting. It will be a debate that will be ongoing but I am sure this is what most people want and will be happy as long as Joba executes in this role the way everyone thinks he will.

Yanks avoid arbitration

The New York Yankees have come to terms with Chad Gaudin and Boone Logan. They settled and won't have to go to arbitration with these 2 players. Boone Logan got $590,000 and Chad Gaudin got 2.9 million. Chad Gaudin could have a role on this team, i think as a longman or maybe even 5th starter. I think the Yankees would like Phil Hughes to be the 5th starter and Joba in the pen but you never know how it shakes out. It is also possible that Gaudin gets traded, having him and Mitre is basically having 2 similar guys for one role. Boone Logan will compete for the second left hander out of the bullpen, I would say he is the frontrunner to make the team with Damaso Marte right now but we will see how the spring goes and if any of the youngsters make a good impression.

Yankee News

There really isn't much going on in the hotstove league as teams still have the right to negotiate with their own free agents. Thursday will start the real hotstove as free agents then have the right to negotiate and sign with any team they wish. I am going to start looking at the Yankees and Mets and then baseball in general at that time. Here are a couple of items with the Yankees though regarding arbitration. The Yankees officially declined the option on Sergio Mitre for 2010, he is still under the Yankees control and is arbitration eligible. The Yankees want to have as many arms as possible stocked up and because he will be cheap I am sure they will keep him. I am guessing they do the same with Chad Guadin to go along with Ian Kennedy and Alfredo Aceves if he isn't in the bullpen as the extra guys in case of injury or need in the starting rotation. The Yankees do have 4 other arbitration decisions to make and they are Melky Cabrera- he will get offered something. Brian Bruney I am sure will be offered because he does have a good arm and if Hughes and Chamberlain are going to be in the rotation well then they need more bullpen guys. Chad Guadin I spoke about above and the trickiest one is going to be Chien-Ming Wang. I am guessing they will not offer him arbitration as he will then at least get 5 million but I do think they will work something out to see if he can get healthy and back to form. If he is able to come back and be close to what he was then that is the biggest pickup the Yankees can make. They can then put Hughes or Joba in the pen and have the other one as the 5th starter and have plenty of reserve options for injury or ineffectiveness.

Yankees Minor League Titles

The New York Yankees minor league system once again has been outstanding this season. The A-Tampa Yankees won the Florida State League title last night and the short season Staten Island Yankees won the NY/Penn League title. The Staten Island Yankees were represented by a lot of the recent draft picks. You can check out the stories about the games on www.milb.com the official minor league baseball site. The AAA Scranton Yankees are down 0-2 in their championship series but they have lost a lot of players to the big club such as Shelly Duncan, Ramiro Pena and Francisco Cervelli and a few relievers. They still have a shot though with 3 straight home games, of course they have to win every one of them. The big news out of AAA though is that Ian Kennedy you remember him pitched 3 hitless innings last night with 6 strikeouts. This is great news, he is a good kid who was thrust onto the scene maybe too quickly in NY and didn't do too well and then had surgery this year for a aneurysm in his arm. He now has pitched 5 scoreless innings in the minor league playoffs and will head to the instructional league and Arizona Fall league to build up his innings. Ian should be in AAA next year ready to go but he doesn't have much more to prove there as he has dominated the level. If Andy Pettitte comes back and Phil Hughes does become the 5th starter then there doesn't seem to be a spot for him but maybe he becomes a long reliever/spot starter or stays in AAA as a extra guy. Another scenario is the Yankees leaving Hughes where he is and Ian Kennedy being the 5th starter. This is all a ways off but interesting to think about, hopefully first the Yankees secure their 27th title then they can worry about this kind of stuff.

Yanks get monkey off back and beat up on Sox

The New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox tonight by the score of 13-6. Joba Chamberlain started and struggled but got the win going 5 innings and giving up 4 runs on 6 hits with 7 walks and 5 strikeouts. The story of the game was the Yankees just beating up on John Smoltz and Billy Traber as Jorge Posada had 3 hits and 3 rbi's, Johnny Damon had 3 hits and a rbi and Big Tex had 3 hits and a rbi. A-rod and Matsui had a hit each and Robinson Cano and Nick Swisher each had 2 hits, Cano had a rbi. Melky Cabrera had 2 hits and 3 rbi's. The biggest thing is that the Yankees got the monkey off of their backs, they don't have to hear anything anymore about beating the Sox and can just move on, they also now have a 3 1/2 game lead over them. Tomorrow they will send A.J. Burnett to the mound against Josh Beckett. Burnett who usually pitches well against Boston has struggled in 2 starts against them this year, he will be looking to turn that around and outduel his old teammate. Jason Bay being out of the lineup helps the Yankees and Jed Lowrie left with a elbow injury tonight. The Yankees announced during the game that they aquired Chad Gaudin from the Padres for a player to be named later and it looks like he will replace Sergio Mitre as the fifth starter. It will be interesting to see the reaction from the players later on, I am sure they are relieved.

2nd Half upon us

The New York Yankees will have off today and start a 10 game homstand tomorrow with 3 against Detroit, 3 against Baltimore and 4 against Oakland. This would be a good time for the Yankees to come out of the gate flying and go at least 7-3, the Tigers are good but Oakland and Baltimore are under 500 and very beatable. Damaso Marte is beginning a rehab assignment today which is a good sign. If he could come back it would be really nice to have two lefties in the pen instead of just one, that would be a real advantage to the Yankees. The Yankees have to get Joba Chamberlain going and hope they find lightning in a bottle with Sergio Mitre as the 5th starter or trade for one before the deadline in a couple of weeks. The Yankees currently lead the wildcard and our 3 back of the Red Sox. They are in a good position considering they should play better, you have a rested A-rod, Big Tex should be more consistant offensively and I look for AJ and CC to have big 2nd halfs and I wouldn't doubt Andy doing it also, the key will be Joba and whoever the 5th starter is, because Joba needs to get deeper in games so they don't kill the bullpen which has been much better lately. Lets go Yankees as the second half commences tomorrow. The Mets play Atlanta starting tonight with Oliver Perez on the mound against Derek Lowe. Pedro Martinez signed with the Phillies yesterday so that is something to watch also. Enjoy the 2nd half, it should be fun ride.

Yanks defeat Indians and the Midges

The New York Yankees defeated the Cleveland Indians by the score of 5-2 tonight. Joba Chamberlain got the start and looked great, he threw 8 innings giving up 2 runs on 4 hits with 5 strikeouts. He was consistantly hitting 96-98 on the gun all the way through the game. This is the best Joba has looked as a starter and the potential he has, if he is throwing hard nad throwing strikes watch out and this is why he should and will be a starter. If he is this type of pitcher a ace he will pitch the eighth anyway. The Yankees finished off the roadtrip at 5-2 and also set a MLB record with their 18th straight errorless game. Derek Jeter had 2 hits and 2 walks to lead the offense, Nick Swisher had 2 doubles. A-rod had a 2 run single and a walk. Big Tex had a hit to extend his hitting streak to 14 games and also Jeter extended his to 15. The offense wasn't great but good enough and now they will return home to the homerun haven. This should be an interesting series with the high powered Rangers, A.J. Burnett will get the start tomorrow night.

Yanks/Red Sox wrapup

It is tough to be 0-5 against Boston but they got us at the right time and we are playing them at a bad time. The Yankees need to go out and win games now and forget about the Red Sox. They have Tampa the next 2 days at home and the pitching matchups favor the Yanks, they really need a couple of wins before heading to Baltimore and Toronto, teams they can beat. CC Sabathia needs to have a dominant game as well as Burnett and just get them going, this team is built around the pitching and once these guys get in a groove the team will roll off wins. Joba had a rough first inning but he looked awesome after that striking out 12 in the next 4 2/3 innings. This is why he needs to be a starter he won't be good one day but maybe great like a #1 starter. He just toyed with them and had all of his pitches working, remember he is the fifth starter and usually against other fifth starters the Yanks will score runs. I don't know if he keeps pitching well and Hughes does and Wang comes back what you do but its a good problem to have, hopefully they are all pitching well when Wang comes back. The Yankees don't have Bruney, Marte and A-rod, Nady and now Posada. These injuries hurt the Yankees but A-rod will be back and Marte and Bruney shouldn't be gone for too long. I think the bottom line is the starting pitching if they can get on a roll everything else will fall into place and watch out. The positives were Melky having 3 hits, Jeter had 2 and Damon had another homerun. Hideki Matsui continues to look good at the plate. It is late and I am frustrated and upset but tomorrow is a new day and I will be back tomorrow for the start of the Rays series.

Arod Back sort of

Alex Rodriguez is back at Steinbrenner Field in the next step of his rehab. He was taking grounders and hitting off a tee. Peter Abraham is reporting he was hitting mostly everything the other way. Alex is expected to meet with the media after his session is over and then later on tonight before the game. I think he won't say much and be just fine but you never know with Alex, the bottom line is they need him, Cody Ransom is struggling really bad and Alex Rodriguez make the lineup as a whole better. I hope he will be in the dugout with the team and bring inspiration to them, they have been playing well and maybe he will offer some encouragement to Cody. The lineups will be posted later and I am sure I will be back with more on Arod. I knew after the bullpen blew a game for Joba the Joba to the pen stuff would heat up again. Here is my take on this, Joba pitched 6 innings allowing 1 earned run, if it was someone else pitching they may have not got to the bullpen with the lead, he is a starter and that is where he will be until the playoffs when a 5th starter isn't needed. Joba is showing he has the stuff to be an elite pitcher, remember he is only 23 and will get better and better with more experience. I think Joe Girardi actually messed up that inning, I may have left Marte in, the worst that would of happend is Butler hits a homerun to tie the game but then after Veras came in and walked the guy maybe he should of just left him in. I have no problem not using MO as it is early in the year, he is getting older and coming off of shoulder surgery. If the Yankees come back now and win 2 out of 3 it was a pretty good trip and then they need to reestablish the home field dominance and they will be fine.

Baseball 2009 almost here

The baseball season is set to kick off tonight with the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies hosting the Atlanta Braves. Brett Myers will get the start going against Derek Lowe. The game will be on ESPN sunday night baseball. It will be interesting to see how the MLB network will be during the season, I think they have done a great job so far and it should be fun to watch. They will have the nightly show beginning at 7 and not ending till the last pitch of the last game. They will have live look ins, highlights, analysis. The New York Yankees are in Baltimore now taking batting practice and working out. You can see some pictures over on Peter Abrahams blog http://yankees.lhblogs.com Joba Chamberlain made his final start of the spring down in Tampa pitching for AA Trenton against AAA Scranton. He threw 75 pitches going 5 1/3 innings giving up 2 runs on 2 hits. He was so good though that he faced 5 additional batters with 3 outs. He started out giving up 2 hits and a walk but then retired 16 straight, he had 5 strikeouts. He said he was working on fastball command and his changeup. He said it was good, one of his best days as far as consistency goes, He said he is excited to get going.

Yankees Recap and Notes

The New York Yankees defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates today in a wild game by the score of 9-8. AJ Burnett got the start and just didn't have it at all for the first time this spring. He pitched 4 1/3 innings giving up 10 hits, 7 runs, 6 of them were earned, 3 walks and 1k. He gave up 3 homeruns. He said after the game that his mechanics were just messed up all day. He said he was messed up and that his arm feels fine. Damaso Marte pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up 2 hits and 1 run. Mariano Rivera pitched an inning, he gave up a leadoff single then proceeded to strike out the side. He is the man, greatest closer of all time. Phil Coke was outstanding pitching 2 innings giving up 1 hit, 0 runs, 4 strikeouts. Jose Veras closed it out with a scoreless inning giving up 2 hits. Johnny Damon led the offensive attack going 3-4 with a rbi, Derek Jeter was 1-3 with a rbi. Nick Swisher was 1-3 with 2 rbi and 2 walks, Hideki Matsui was 1-3 with a rbi and walk. Robinson Cano was 1-4 with a 2 run homerun, thats 2 days in a row he has hit a homerun, he is playing very well this spring. I am expecting a huge year out of Robbie Cano and so are the Yankees. Xavier Nady who has seemed to play very well since getting named the RF was 2-3 with a walk, Ramiro Pena was 1-3 with a walk. Brett Gardner was 2-3. The Yankees got Ivan Nova back, he was a rule 5 pick for Padres, they assigned him to AA-Trenton. Jorge Posada said before the game it was so windy yesterday that Wang got blown off the mound a couple of times and he wasn't kidding. He was basically saying yo can't take anything from Wangs performance yesterday due to the weather. Derek Jeter laughed at his bruised pinky being on the back page of the newspaper, he said " I didn't even realize I was hurt." Derek Jeter would say that no matter what unless he just can't get on the field because its a major thing. The Yankees will take on Toronto tomorrow in Dunedin with Andy Pettitte getting the start.

Yanks Recap

The New York Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies today in Clearwater 10-2. Joba Chamberlain got off to a rough start giving up back to back homeruns in the first. He settled down after that pitching 4 1/3 innings giving up 3 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks and 3k. Phil Coke pitched 2/3 of an inning striking out both batters he faced. Edwar Ramirez pitched one perfect inning striking out two, Brian Bruney pitched a scoreless inning giving up 1 hit with 1k. Jose Veras pitched a scoreless inning viing up 2 hits and Jon Albaladejo pitched a perfect inning. The offense was led by Derek Jeter going 2-4 and Melky Cabrera going 2-4 with 3rbi. Johnny Damon was 1-4 with a rbi, Hideki Matsui had a 2 run homerun, Nick Swisher was 1-3 with a rbi and walk. Robinson Cano was 1-2 with a walk, Cody Ransom was 1-3 with a solo hr. The Yankees will play the Cincinatti Reds at home tomorrow at 7:15pm with CC Sabathia getting the start.

Mets Recap

The New York Mets defeated the Baltimore Orioles today 4-0. Oliver Perez got the start and went 3 scoreless innings giving up a hit and 2 walks. Bobby Parnell went 2 2/3 innings giving up 5 hits, 0 runs and 2 k's. The Mets also optioned Jon Niese to the minor leagues basically assuring that Livan Hernandez will be the 5th starter. The offense was led by Daniel Murphy who was 2-4 with 2 rbi. Nick Evans was 1-4 and Jeremy Reed was 1-2. Ike Davis was 2-4 with a rbi. The Mets will take on the Braves tomorrow with John Maine getting the start.

Spring Game 22: Yankees at Astros

So Wang gets the start today and the Astros wont let the Yankees use the DH. This should be bad flashbacks but when Wang gets up there he will not swing or run, hopefully he won't walk, if the pitcher falls behind he better just swing and miss on purpose. The team is coming together nicely but wont be full for a while still with Team USA and Jeter advancing. Arod of course is rehabbing but it has been nice and quiet without him and Cody Ransom is doing a great job filling in so far. Brett Tomko will pitch today and try to continue to impress for the long relief job which suddenly has a new entrant, none other then Kei Igawa who Joe Girardi says you cant help but notice. UPDATE: The Astros decided to let the Yankees use the DH so Robinson Cano is in there batting second and Wang is off the hook. Spring Game 22: Yankees at Astros Posted using ShareThis

Spring Game 9: Team Canada vs. Yankees

Joba gets his second start and lets see if its any better then the first, people are freaking out over his first start but no need to worry. Get used to this kind of lineup even more with word that Arod may be out 10 weeks for hip surgery, don't jump off the bridge yet, lets wait for confirmation and remember the yankees have the pitching that should win them most games. I like the idea of playing small ball, pitching and defense that wins championships remember. Hideki Matsui makes his first appearance of the spring today which is good. The other thing to remember is if he is healthy and Posada, Cano bounces back and Tex, the offense is better anyway even without Arod. Spring Game 9: Team Canada vs. Yankees Posted using ShareThis

Yanks/Twins Recap

The New York Yankees lost their first game of the spring 5-4 to the Minnesota Twins. Ian Kennedy started and gave up 1 hit, 1 walk and had 3ks in 2 innings with 0 runs allowed. Jorge Posada continued his hot start with 2 more hits, Brett Gardner also looks to be out in front for the CF job as he had 2 more hits, a walk and stolen base. In the last 3 innings the Yankees pitching gave up 4 runs. The pitchers were Brackman,Kontos,De La Rosa and Jackson. Anthony Claggett who the Yanks got in the Sheffield trade pitched 2 innings giving up 1 hit with 1 strikeout. Austin Jackson had 1 hit in 2abs. Nick Swisher went 2 for 3, he has looked good so far in 2 games. Melky Cabrera was 0-3 and looks to be losing ground quick, he better start hitting soon or he will be a bench player. The Yankees will be back in home against the Twins tomorrow, Cano,Arod Jeter will all be back in the lineup, Joba Chamberlain gets the start. Francisco Liriano gets the start for the Twins.

Actual Yankees News

I thank Peter Abraham of the Journal News and http://yankees.lhblogs.com for this. He spoke with Brian Cashman and Cash said that Joba will be the fifth starter and once he hits his innings limits that will be it. They have no thought of using him out of the pen at all and by him being the fifth starter they can skip starts and all to help him. He also said he absolutely likes the idea of keeping both Nady and Swisher. A trade could happen but there is some value in roster flexibility. Cash said Nady can cover them in right and left and that Swish can play right,left,first base and center in an emergency. It gives the manager a lot of choices. There are high hopes for Melky to reclaim center. Cash said that Melky played well in winter ball and has to have the competiveness to put last year behind him. The good ones always find a way he said, he also said it is a competition and Gardner will get a long look and that Austin Jackson will be in the minors all year. He said he is wide open to having veterans come to camp and try to earn a job but no word on whose those guys might be.